Coming Soon: The Grossi Family Is Relaunching Its Wine and Cocktail Bar Arlechin

Arlechin has had a pretty rough road to success, struggling to get back on its feet following a few COVID-19-enforced closures. But the Grossi family (Grossi Florentino, Puttanesca, Cellar Bar, Ombra) hasn't given up on this little late-night bar in the CBD, having decided to reopen on Friday, May 24 with a new food and drinks lineup.

Guy Grossi and his team have kept the wines as they were — focusing on Italian and Aussie drops — and have enlisted Arlechin's new Bar Venue Manager Russell Branford (ex-Lakehouse Daylesford) to dream up a whole new cocktail menu.

He's had some fun with these, especially when creating the puttanesca martinez. This cocktail is inspired by the classic pasta sauce, and is made with chilli-infused gin, red vermouth, a black olive reduction and Bittermens Hellfire bitters. There's no tomato in this bad boy, but the savoury notes will definitely play tricks with your tastebuds.

Branford has made another five signature drinks for Arlechin, alongside a few classic Italian cocktails that have each had little upgrades — think barrel-aged negroni or a champagne cocktail finished with a Campari-soaked sugar cube.

It wouldn't be a true Grossi venue without the chef's signature style of contemporary Italian cuisine. At Arlechin, you can pair your bevs with salumi boards and generous bowls of pasta (including Grossi's beloved midnight spaghetti), as well as fun bites like bolognese jaffles and crumpets topped with whipped baccala.

"The beauty of Arlechin is its location and offering," says Grossi. "If you're dining at one of our sibling restaurants and looking for a nightcap to continue your evening it's just a short walk around the corner. If you're after a pre-dinner snack, there is a selection of smaller share plates but if you want to stay put, we have plenty of substantial dinner options too. Our menu truly embraces the essence of Italian simplicity and sophistication whilst complementing the drinks list.".

Arlechin will relaunch on Friday, May 24 and be open 5pm–1am, Wednesday to Saturday. For more information, you can visit the venue's website.